Bersih to alter plans

Getting ready: Maria briefing the press outside the Dang Wangi police district headquarters on plans for the gathering.

PHOTO: The Star/ANN

KUALA LUMPUR - Bersih 2.0 will have to reorganise its plans for the Bersih 4 rally this Saturday following road closures due to the preparations for the Merdeka Day celebrations at Dataran Merdeka.

Bersih 2.0 chief Maria Chin Abdullah said the organisation would talk to the police on managing the rally.

"We have informed the police that the 34-hour rally will go on. We are also working with them as we are not sure which of the 18 points are off-limits and how they're going to implement the road blocks," she told reporters outside the Dang Wangi police district headquarters after meeting the OCPD Asst Comm Zainol Samah yesterday.

Maria said the rally participants would not disturb the ongoing Merdeka rehearsals.

"This (Bersih 4) is the people's way of celebrating National Day by calling for a change and for us to reform.

"We do not need permission to spend the night in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka, but we are cooperating with the police to ensure the rally is peaceful.

"We are not doing this because we want to be difficult, but we want to see change, accountability, integrity and transparency in this country. We will disperse peacefully on the eve of National Day," she added.

Queried over the organiser's promises that the rally would proceed peacefully, she said those attending the rally did not need violence.

"But if there are those who want to cause violence, we have told the police that they should be arrested," she added.

Maria said everyone, including rally parti­cipants and the police, should take responsibility to make sure that the event remained peaceful.